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Putin tells EU not to speak arrogantly about human rights

May 29, 2007, 16:03 GMT

Moscow - The European Union should not speak with arrogance about human rights, said Russian President Vladimir Putin Tuesday as he pushed Russian-Portuguese economic ties during a meeting in the Kremlin with Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates. During negotiations that also focussed on increasing trade and cultural ties, the two politicians expressed hope the upcoming Portuguese presidency of the EU would lead to progress on a stalled Russian-EU agreement. 'I agree with Mr Putin when he says Russia lived its best moments when it was together with Europe,' Socrates said after meeting with Putin, Interfax reported. Couching his language in terms of a 'historical mission,' Socrates said 'the task and responsibility to come to a general strategic agreement that would unite our historic missions' lay on Russia and Europe. The Russia-EU agreement has been blocked by Poland, whose meat products have been banned from entering Russia. But both men chided Europe for speaking 'arrogantly' about human rights and democracy. 'Let's not say on one side we have such pure, white and furry partners and on the other a monster that came out of the forest and instead of legs has claws and horns growing,' Putin was quoted as saying of the EU and Russia. 'Let's not use the argument (of human rights and democracy) to decide problems of meat, defence, security,' he added. 'Let's talk to one another openly, on a foundation of mutual work ... without arrogance, as partners.' During a Russia-EU summit earlier this month, German Chancellor Angela Merkel voiced concern about Russia's commitment to democracy and human rights. After the German leader urged Moscow to allow a banned opposition march during a recent EU-Russia summit in Samara, Russia, local authorities approved the march. Organizers, however, were subsequently detained on trains and in airports on suspicion of having counterfeit money and tickets or of carrying grenades, and could not make the march. 'There's nothing worse than when one country tries to teach another a lesson,' Socrates said. 'We should speak to one another honestly and openly and not read one another morals.' The Portuguese politician did not specify which European states he had in mind. Putin, however, named Merkel, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, when discussing the Polish meat question. Noting Germany had recently arrested a shipment of meat from Poland, he added: 'I am meeting soon with the German chancellor, Ms Merkel, at the Group of Eight summit in Germany,' Putin said. 'I of course won't say to her: 'You yourself don't want to eat this meat but you want to feed me it?' I won't say this.' While the European Union emphasizes the unity of member-states on issues ranging from the Polish meat ban to energy policy, Moscow prefers to deal with EU states bilaterally. One of the issues on which Moscow has been most vocal is a planned US missile defence shield, which could have elements in the Czech Republic and Poland. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the defence shield the point 'where EU solidarity ends' in Samara. Putin on Tuesday said he 'turned the attention of the Portuguese prime minister toward Russia's concern about a few of the actions and plans of our Western colleagues,' referring to the shield. 'We consider it harmful and dangerous to turn Europe into a tinderbox and fill it with new types of weapons,' the Russian leader said. While Washington says the shield is directed against rogue missiles from Iran or North Korea, Moscow officials say Russia is its target. Putin has used the visits of foreign politicians to speak against the shield. Bilaterally, Putin said the two politicians spoke of the possibility of creating a centre for Russian aviation sales and repair work in Portugal. He added shipbuilding and aerospace as other areas where Moscow could diversify its trade ties with Lisbon. Socrates said Portugal intended to simplify visa procedures for Russian tourists and that the two nations had agreed to create a forum of government, cultural and scientific representatives between the two countries. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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European freedom of speechMay 29th, 2007 - 18:30:34

Do you hear that? To all Europeans, silence your speech and only talk about things Putin wants to hear. Do not talk arrogantly or at all. Do as Putin says not as Putin does. Beware as Putin is now the heir apparent to old Europe.

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Russian Missles w/ 10 warheads pointed at EuropeMay 29th, 2007 - 18:33:13

Now he has missles w/ 10 wardheads pointed at you, and is taking your energy needs as a political measure to hold you under his thumb.

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Human rightsMay 29th, 2007 - 21:59:50

“European freedom of speech” – you are joking, right? The point was to speak about human rights when there are issues (not to keep silence) In US (and I am pretty sure in Europe as well) protests are being broken far more violently then what seem to happen in Russia, yet from the speeches it would seem otherwise. Just few weeks ago an emigration rally protesters (and reporters as well) were being beaten in Los Angeles by police. The point was to state the obvious. That that all: Russia, Europe and US have human right issues. I know that US and Russian law is very similar in respect to protests. All parties should deal with their issues instead of using human right talk as a way to create “leverage” for something else. Human rights are important enough to be defended instead of being used as leverage, I am not sure how can anyone disagree with that?

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AleksMay 30th, 2007 - 10:46:58

The first two comments underline exactly what the problem is with certain Western public/political & media attitudes. Regardless of what is actually said, their own opinion is more important. What Putin said and meant was that questions of a strategic nature should be kept separate from the human right question. This is NOT unreasonable. Tell you what, Russia is a 'dictatorship', so let's refuse to buy russian oil and gas until they become 'democratic' in the way we like (i.e. the right people win the elections - Hamas instead of Fatah for example). WHy not pick a fight with China? Chicken?

After all, the West quite happily deals with bastions of human rights such quite a number of oil producing middle eastern states for starters, not to mention a number of not entirely democratic north african states (Mr. Blair and his new best friend Mr. Ghadaffi).

God save us from the humanitarian warriors who are the politicians best friends as all the politicos have to do is shout 'human rights' and their sheep will man the barricades and repeat empty phrases. It's only lead to widescale death and destruction since the end of the cold war.

Damn this human rights hypocrisy.

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